For the auto-driving tourist to Branson, the signs were out . . . “Welcome … Drive In and LOOK” . . . and (hopefully) buy some trinkets, food or gas. You could drink a Coke, gas up and shop this splendid selection of Ozark drip pottery and cedar novelties in a short stop in Reeds Spring. Many of the cedar boxes were made locally under small factory conditions and had decals evoking Shepherd of the Hills Country. At the time these roadside attractions were disparaged, but today many of the items they sold are high priced collectibles. Look closely at the loaded shelves in this photograph. Next time you browse through an antique mall or flea market, scan those shelves for similar items. Nowadays, foreign manufactured items compete with locally made tourist items.
This image is used in a section about Reeds Spring in James Fork of the White (p. 87). The book is available on amazon.com, on this website and at Barnes & Noble.